Resident Evil: Aya Kenshin & Lex Muyo
by midnite127
Summary: The city has yet to be nuked in a somewhat alternate universe. Two survivors attempt to escape the madness devouring Raccoon City, struggling more with getting along then with the biohazards themselves...
1. Meet the neighbors

**This is my first story…on this website anyways. It was originally on a different site but I decided I would try it out here, just for the heck of it. Few curses but not too much gore. Reviews and flames are graciously accepted, critiques in any form are good. Love it or hate it with a vengeance, just don't steal my characters or my story, and I'll be good!**

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Aurora crossed a clean shaven cinnamon leg over another, eyes closed pensively in thought. Blowing two strands of grey from her face, they casually fell back into bone straight raven, hair in a neat ponytail down to her back. One hand stroking the small silver cross around her neck, the other played across the red gem in her navel.

At the finish of one of the few heavy metal songs downloaded –courtesy of Kazaa- to her MP3, her eyes snapped open, a pair of mischievous green instantly revealed. Smoothing down her black shirt, she stared to the pink outline of an apple, smirking at the words 'Bite me' below it. Silk boxers in stark contrast to the white sheets beneath her, she rolled onto her stomach, attention back to her 5-Star Spiral notebook by her head.

The luminous white lights flooding her hotel room from identical crème lamps flickered for what she counted to be the third time for the evening. The cable box resting opposite her flashed 12:00 repeatedly in red LCD lights, the platinum Philips TV nothing but a fuzz box, useful for making annoying static on the cypress bureau it rested on. Lifting her gaze from the scribbled writing in her notebook, she looked up to a battery run clock hanging just above the door.

_2 o clock…_

By all means, Aurora should have been nestled in beneath the thick white comforters making up the rigid queen sized bed of the cool hotel room. She should have been done with her paper, a wasted cigarette burnt out on whatever flat surface she could get her hands on. But for some incomprehensible reason, she was on a constant alert, her mind refusing to let her sleep as the hairs along her arms and legs raised every so often from an unheard bump in the nearly vacant hotel bordering near the edge of town.

Sighing, Aurora removed her headphones, extending her paper inches from her face as she began to read aloud her progress. "Most see college life as…" She groaned, frustrated as she ripped the sheet from her book, tossing it into the wastebasket by the bathroom door. She had been in the hotel for almost six hours, four of them spent sleeping, but in the two hours she had been awake…

_Only one…bloody…fragment. Hell, not even, a sentence!_

Aurora didn't know what was her problem that evening, but she felt her neighbors, in their own special way had contributed to her dilemma. Earlier in the evening, a couple had arrived in around their mid-thirties, the man bleeding lightly from a scratch across his face, his blonde girlfriend seemingly fine. She hadn't minded they had gotten a room right next to her until the moaning started to reach her ears. No problems though, she had her music to cover it up. But then the banging…and screaming…

She threw her notebook inside her knapsack, making space for it in the near empty bag resting on the carpet. Moving aside her lighter, stiletto, and a neon green floppy disk, she slid the book inside, tempted to open one of two bottles of redbull. Lately, she had grown a sort of addiction to the drink.

Bending over, she started to lace up her Timberlands, tucking her stiletto to the side of her boot. "Though the saddest part has to be," She propped her foot up on the tabletop, clumsily knocking over a pack of Newports, the only cigs she could find at the hotel. "That bitch gets laid more in one night than I do in a friggin month," Finishing up on boot one, she started to tie up number two, shaking her head miserably. "Yeah, life's a bitch, only sound reason I can come up with for it."

Swinging her knapsack over her back, Aurora picked up a lone Newport, placing the cig to her lips as she headed to the door. She figured she could go downstairs to the lounge area…hopefully she would make some sort of progress there. But before she did that, she decided she would at least attempt to negotiate with her promiscuous neighbors.

Pushing open the white wooden door, she half expected to hear a roll of thunder at the condition of the halls. The oval lamps hanging lazily from the ceiling were out, the only lighting coming from a plain glass window down each side of the hall along with the dim lighting from beneath her neighbor's door.

Balling up her fist, she rapped heavily on the door. "Hey, instead of playing 'screw around' do you think you guys could play hide and go fu…" She trailed off from her shouting, the door creaking as it swung into a grisly sight, Aurora's jaw dropping at the scene. "Heard of eating the box but god damn…"

Stunned, she realized her original thoughts as to what were going on might've been off. The pillows and sheets were torn, the mattress tossed against the window, bloody handprints decorating the rose and ivory wallpaper. The TV had been thrown into an adjacent wall, glass littering the beige carpet, the light spatters of blood going strangely well with the color scheme.

However, what had struck her was the blonde woman lying down on the floor, a vacant expression in dead blue eyes. She was in an increasingly growing pool of blood, bites and scratches having torn up a once pretty face. Most of her bottom half was devoured or missing, the man from earlier now starting to dine on her torso.

"Holy fuck me Saint Marie," Aurora made the sign of the cross, knowing her comment made no sense whatsoever. The man snapped his head up, turning a psychotic wild eyed gaze to the femme. Getting up to his feet lethargically, face clammy, decomposed, he extended his hands out to what he considered dinner.

Aurora didn't exactly share his same perspective, seeing him for what he was. Dead…and not just because he was obviously a zombie. Dead simply because he was actually going to try and attack her. Instinctively, she struck out a foot, landing a hard blow into his…its jaw. _15 years forced in Tae Kwon Do better be worth SOMETHING._ She began to smile as he flew back into the wall, stopping at the sense of fear felt after one good minute, it starting to get back up.

Exiting the room, she shut the door. _No mercy…can't show mercy, might come back to bite me,_ She looked around, breathing robotically. _Keep that in mind in the off chance I run into another…whatever he was!_ Without realizing it, she had broken off into a hasty sprint, kicking open the door of the stairs. Flying down the spiraling metal staircases, she shouldered open the bottom door into the lobby area.

Multiple moans met her hearing, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. She froze, trying to pinpoint the location of each demonic wail, reluctantly closing her eyes. Her breath came heavy but she forced concentration. _Most of the staff had been absent for the day…but room service…so three in the kitchen…two down the hall…one….close,_ Her eyes sprung open. _Behind me!_

Pivoting in her step, Aurora just managed to avoid the manager's hungry lunge, he missing a huge chunk of his face. He started to reach out to her, but with a grimace, she evaded the deranged one's scratch, brought her hands to his decaying skin, and twisted, a loud crack ripping through the air.

Truly dead once and for all, the plump manager in the bloodied horrendously yellow tweed suit fell with a sickening thud to the burgundy marble floor. Wiping away sticky remnants of rotted flesh along his corpse, she exhaled heavily, wishing she hadn't dropped her Newport. She hated them, sure, but a cig was cig.

Throwing her hotel key into its corresponding hubby, Aurora briskly left the building, going to the only vehicle in the lot, most likely belonging to the late couple. Fiddling with the handle on the shined navy blue car, she started to break the glass, thinking better of it and instead picking the lock.

Hearing the door of the hotel crash open, she yanked open the car door, jumping in and just locking the door as a cleaning woman started to drag herself to her location. Freaked out by the creature's persistent, Aurora dug into her boot, taking out her amethyst studded stiletto.

Messing around with the wires surrounding the steering wheel, she carefully cut away the red and white insulated plastic, fingers shaking as she tried to stay focus beneath the failing light in the parking lot. Zombie woman seconds away, the car suddenly came to life, a loud roar in the silence of the night.

Saying her thanks to whomever was looking down to her; Aurora got onto the driver's side and flipped off the hissing woman. Checking to make sure everything was in order, with a smirk; she stomped down on the gas pedal, making a turn out the lot and to the closest exit from the city.

Driving top-speed for a little more than a half hour, she hit the breaks with gritted teeth at the roadblock that had come from literally nowhere. She cursed beneath her breath, forming a sloppy U-turn. Resting her hands onto the steering wheel, knowing she'd have to go into the belly of the beast in her night attire, she forced optimism into her being as she headed into Raccoon City…


	2. Back in the City

**For now, it's still more PG-13 than R. Though…think I'll have to bump up the rating for later chapters…**

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Aurora use to have a boyfriend that practically lived by a certain philosophy in life. The only way to judge a man's character was by judging his car. The said ex-boyfriend worked for a stretch limousine company, driving the rich around on a daily basis, showing off the car whenever he could. But…one fateful night, Aurora sadly realized his theory was wrong. The size and class of a car didn't mean a god damn thing. However, she was able to come up with her own theory, that being, it was what was _inside_ the car that judged a person's lifestyle.

She took the car she had jacked for an example. In the backseat she had found a pair of handcuffs, a fancy whip, and other items best left on the online store they'd been ordered from. Searching the more obvious compartments of the car, she had found a can of hairspray and five Salem cigarettes, she regretting the bitch comment she had made after such a marvelous discovery.

The deduction she had managed to make from it all was the car belonged to the woman. She and her boyfriend were into some sort of S&M but weren't heavy smokers. Oh, and the couple were well to do, a thick leather wallet holding ten fifties settled into the passenger seat.

Driving into the city, Aurora slowed down her demonic speed, noting the raging infernos that had taken over most of the buildings, mini-explosions going on around her position, flaming cars, flaming people, an undead moaning chorus in the air, the smell of death overpowering.

Tempted to roll down a window, she held back the urge, her common sense still intact. "Fuck me…just what the hell is going on?" It was if she had driven into a horror movie, cars piled onto cars, no safe passage in site.

_We'll see about that…_ Snarling, Aurora shifted the car into reverse, backing away from the traffic jam she had came across. Making a careless U-turn, she began to drive through the less used roads of Raccoon City, frustration building at each strange turn she was forced to make.

Reaching the projects area of the city, a loud screech was heard as she stopped. "Really…" In the distance, shrouded under burning homes, an approaching mob could be seen. Of what, she wasn't sure…and she sure as hell wasn't willing to find out.

Gear still on reverse, she floored it, the car backing up loudly into the night. Heart beating rapidly, she couldn't find the nerve to turn around, not willing to risk the crowd overtaking her. While she would have loved to believe they were a crowd of rescuers coming to pat her back and take her away, she wasn't naïve.

Having backed up a sufficient distant for five minutes, she made a sharp swerve as she avoided crashing into a hydrant, instead slamming into the glass window of a candy shop. Coughing from the impact and popping the airbag that had burst into her face, she scanned the area, no heavy moan reaching her. She grew…thankful. "Thank you…god, that these are not Dawn of the Dead zombies," She laughed at the thought. If the…zombies as she was starting to believe, could run full speed after her, she would've killed herself right there and then.

Fiddling with the wires, she attempted to start the car. It stalled. Her heart grew heavy, the happiness that had reached her starting to fade. "Damn…" She tried again, the car letting out an attention getting sputter. "Damnit……" She tried one last time, the car completely dying. "SHIT! SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, FUCK!" She pounded her fist frustrated into the steering wheel. Screwed wasn't even the word.

Pocketing five of the Salem cigarettes, she placed the last to her lips, quickly lighting it up with a metallic blue lighter. Snapping it shut, she took a drag. "Time to determine whether I'll be a casualty or a survivor…" Propping her feet up against the spider-web pattern of the front window, she kicked it out.

Crawling out of the car, Aurora's eyes glanced back to some of the untouched candy. She considered getting something to munch on. "Candy's sweet…but life is oh so much sweeter," She laughed to herself, it was corny, but it was the only thing she could think of to calm the fear starting to settle in.

Jumping out into the streets, backpack swung over her back, she took a breath of the pungent air before starting to walk the zombie ridden streets of Raccoon City…


	3. The Silver eyed Stranger

Popping open the cap of a redbull, Aurora sipped at the liquid caffeine, taking a break from smoking her Salem. She had made it down the block with no problems as of yet but figured she'd bump into…something eventually. _Great…confrontation._ She normally spoke to herself out loud but she wasn't willing to risk anything managing to hear her. All thoughts would be strictly left in her head.

Sidling herself along the damp, bloodstained brick of a dark building, she finished up the redbull, gently placing the can beneath the dumpster she had crouched behind. Peeking over the top of the rusty green dumpster, she paled at a blood covered man approaching her position, his moans kept to a minimum. _There is a chance he could be human…bah, I'm doing that optimism thing again…but what the hell, got nothing to lose…_

…_Except my life._ Taking a massive breath, Aurora moved herself from behind the bin, summoning her voice. "Are you…alright?" She cringed. She sounded like one of those stupid girlies from a horror movie.

The man, at hearing her voice, snapped his head up quickly. Shambling closer, he made no response, a low moan leaving his throat. He stepped into a puddle not seeming to care about his sneakers being splashed with the dirty liquid. Now beneath the light, on his fresh white jersey was a blood stain, intestines sloppily starting to fall onto the ground from beneath the shirt.

"Fuck me, Saint Marie…" Again, she made the sign of the cross, this time clutching her cross. The man's moan increased, and with crazy wild eyes, he attempted to grab Aurora. Jumping on one heel, she snapped her second foot up, kicking him directly in the neck. He stumbled back, recovering quickly, continuing his course.

Snarling, Aurora performed a roundhouse, a hard blow to the temple of the man. He flew into the side of the building, the concussion to his skull somehow disorienting him. Wasting no time, she jumped on top of the dumpster, eyes towards the sky. _Hello love!_ Rebounding from the wall, she jumped across to a dew coated ladder, the handlebars tackily covered in blue paint; a poor attempt to hide its age.

Hastily climbing up, Aurora jumped up onto the creaky fire escape, finally able to get herself a view of the chaos that had ensued. If she thought it was bad from the safety of her car, she was wrong. It was worse…there didn't seem to be a safe haven in sight and if someone had survived it would be a damn near miracle.

She sighed heavily. _This is what I've willfully come back to, no gun pointed to my head, no getting held at knifepoint. God…I'm a fucking idiot._ Laughing to herself, she removed her stiletto from her pack, flipping it open as she peered into the shattered glass of a building.

Not seeing anything rush past her view in classic horror film fame, she kicked out the remaining glass of the window, stepping inside the new building. The only lighting came from the dying flames outside, the whole place holding a claustrophobic air despite being a wide open space.

Stepping as lightly as her Timberlands would allow across the rotted wood floorboards of the building, she crept to the door, breath coming heavily in the musty darkness. The door swung outward ominously, Aurora taking it as a sign that things were bound to get worse.

Prowling through the building, she found with some relief that the hallways –although dimly- were illuminated. There were countless splotches of blood along the beige wall, the occasional moan heard. Feigning apathy, she strode down to the end of the hall. She stopped outside a shoddy wooden door, cut glass knob painted in a light pink, at the foot of the door a still zombie. Its brains were covering the rest of the door.

Arching a brow, Aurora tightened her grip on her stiletto. Pulling open the door, she walked into the small room, lighting coming from a small metal lamp on a marble table propped against the wall. Also on the table were an old-fashioned typewriter, an ink ribbon, and a variety of herbs laid out neatly on the countertop. Aurora didn't take the time to notice all this though as currently, her eyes were focused on the gun that had been drilled into the center of her forehead, her stiletto pressed against the throat of the man occupying the room.

He appeared to be in his twenties, around six feet, holding a tan only the tropics could give. His hair was light brown, messy, around shoulder length but his eyes were by far his most distinguishing feature. They were a sparkling argentine…a ruthless silver. A smoking cigarette dangled from his bottom lip, a handsome face holding a bored expression.

The two stood in a silent standstill, the man finally narrowing his eyes, speaking smoothly. "Last time I checked, magnum beats," He glanced down to his neck. "Stiletto hands down."

Aurora kept her blade trained into his neck, devious smile forming. "Last time I checked, slit throat beats shot to the shoulder 'hands down' stranger."

The man almost laughed. "What? Are you going to pull a matrix and dodge the shot?"

"No…" Aurora very slowly lowered her stiletto past the silver chain on his neck to the black shirt showing no signs of being in combat. She lost her smile. "I would've pulled an Aya, miraculously been saved by fate, and slit your throat. But…you're no longer my problem…"

His eyes darted to the door in back of him. "My thoughts exactly," No sooner had he spoken when both doors got broken down, a renegade zombie attacking from both ways. From his side, a solitary shot went off. Meanwhile, Aurora had plunged her blade into the female zombie's chest, pushing her off the blade with a blow from her palm. The being stumbled back, unaffected, preparing for a bite. She would've considered it harmless, a perfect opportunity to snap the woman's neck. The zombie lunged…and just as she did so, the stranger rested his gun by Aurora's head, took aim, and pulled the trigger, a deafening shot going off by Aurora's ear as the woman slumped down dead by the doorway.

Pulling Aurora close, the stranger tilted her head, voice coming a low growl into her ear. "The head…ALWAYS aim for the head…"

Shaking herself from his grasp, Aurora vigorously rubbed at her ear, green eyes in a rage. "YOU ACT AS IF I CAN HEAR A BLOODY THING MR. FIRE A MAGNUM OFF BY MY BLOODY EAR!"

"Stop yelling!" he ordered, raising the gun to her center of her forehead.

Reading his lips, her anger intensified. "I WOULD DO THAT BUT I CAN'T EVEN HEAR MYSELF!" lowering her tone, she sighed. "Though, I did hear a little of your advice. The head…that's the only effective way to kill them…whatever they are?"

"Zombies…" He walked through the broken door, Aurora following after, hand gliding across the countertop. "Don't play naïve, what else could they be? Always aim for the head, that's the golden rule. Sorry for the close shot but it was either that or you'd become infected. And when that happens…well, I'd have to fucking kill you."

Aurora snorted. "Talk about mercy and compassion…"

Guiding her towards what he hoped would be the exit, he arched his own brow, glancing back to her. "If you were expecting that, I suggest you find yourself another survivor…you become infected, I suggest you shoot yourself before I do. Sorry, that's just the way it works."

Walking ahead of him to the door, she revealed a row of perfect white teeth as she eerily smiled. "That's perfectly alright," Winking, she pushed open the door, a gust of rank air coming in. "I **know** I would willingly and enthusiastically do the same to you…" Leaving him with those last words, she exited the building, the stranger following after.


	4. 2 minutes to live or Shopping

Arms crossed over her chest, a visible frown could be seen on Aurora's face. She had been silently pacing after the stranger for the past five minutes, waiting for some sort of explanation. Realizing he wouldn't say a thing unless she asked she sighed. "So…"

The stranger glanced back, the earlier cig that was in his mouth replaced with a toothpick. "So what?" Attention forward, he peered around a corner.

Placing a firm grip onto his shoulder, with a surprising strength, Aurora turned him to her. Gazing into his eyes, she decided to ignore his earlier attitude. She asked, "What's the deal with your eyes…? Don't meet silver eyed gun-toting men everyday…" She frowned at her words. _Then again, not everyday are you stuck in dawn of the bloody dead._

The stranger smirked, motioning for her to make a left with him. Messing around with the toothpick, trigger finger itching, he responded with, "You tell me why you're out wandering the streets in silk boxers that happen to give a _very_ nice view of that ass of yours…then we'll talk."

Blushing, Aurora pulled the bottom of her shirt over the back of her boxers. "Hey, I was really about to go to sleep! I wasn't expecting to find my neighbors as frigging zombies so excuse me if I'm not dressed for the occasion!" Finishing up her defense, eyes everywhere but on the strange character, she scowled. "Now I've explained MY deal…what's up with you?"

Propelling the toothpick from his mouth, he faced her once more, forefinger near his eye. "Contacts…my real eye color is grey but I thought these would be interesting to try out. Didn't bother to take them out what with all the chaos cause I don't really think the zombies give a fuck just how my eyes look…" He finished, his words laced with sarcasm.

Rolling her eyes, she almost began to wonder if she was better off on her own. Then again, comrade here did have a gun, a Desert Eagle no less. But with that came an attitude of blatant superiority and no idea of what his true nature could be. Up to the strange character, still focused on stretching the back of her shirt, she innocently asked a question. "Let's say…rhetorically, it was me and you in some building. Zombies were about to overwhelm us and we had a good…two minutes or so before we'd be dead," She glanced to him through narrowed eyes. "What would you do?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "It's not like it matters cause I wouldn't be dumb enough to get myself into a situation like that to begin with-"

"Why I said 'rhetorically'-"

"I wasn't finished," he pointed out, cracking his neck. He let out a breath, giving a 'what the hell?' shrug. "If it was me and you in some building and there was a guarantee we would die, no escape in sight, I would drag you into some random room and…" He stopped, silver eyes looking up in thought, Desert Eagle stroking the tip of his chin. "I would fuck your brains out." He smirked, waiting for her response.

Aurora, who had just started to take a drag from a new Salem, coughed at hearing his last sentence. Coughing out smoke, teary eyed, she pressed her forehead to the wall in an attempt to catch her breath. Taking a deep breath, she was only able to mouth are you kidding, stranger arching a brow. "Did I stutter? If I knew, for a fact, I was about to die and you were the only female in sight, I would fuck your brains out. But humor me, after just hearing that answer, what would you do?"

Recovering, Aurora took a drag, tears streaming down her cheeks. She gave a dangerous smile. "I would blow your brains out…and I don't mean that in a sexual manner, I mean I would take your gun and shoot you in the head. I would do that to myself but that leaves me at the risk of you screwing my corpse," Letting out a stream of smoke, she lost her smile, striding past him disgusted. "God, out of all the people…"

She was honestly hoping he was joking but with a stone face in place as he led her who knows where, Aurora became on guard, realizing monsters might not be the only thing she'd have to worry about. Five more minutes into walking through alleyways and into the shadows, avoiding zombies at all costs, they exited out into the streets, another question coming to mind. "Where are we going?"

"5-7-9, I remember passing by it a half hour ago," he answered, starting to relax in the empty streets. Raising his gun and seeing the confusion in Aurora's face, he explained. "I don't know but there's something about watching you go around in boxers that screams 'zombie bait'. Figuring you could get yourself some jeans to change into…it is, after all, a clothing store…Aya."

Skipping a step, Aurora recovered, fiddling around with her silver hoop earrings. "That's not my name…a nickname sure, but it's not my name. Although…" She raised an expertly trimmed brow hopefully. "You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

For a moment, he looked thoughtful. Stopping in the center of the street, he shook his head. "Pass, I'll stick with Aya, you can just call me stranger or nothing at all…" He narrowed his eyes to three stray dogs poking their heads through garbage. A low growl actually left stranger's throat, he forming a wry face. "They're infected…you can tell by the bloody patches on their fur…someone…or some THING bit them."

Squinting, Aurora subconsciously began to scrimmage through her bag. "But I thought animals didn't get infected…" Going from prior knowledge, she already deduced infection was spread from bites or scratches but she had never heard of virtually everything getting the virus.

Taking a deep, frustrated breath, Stranger snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Listen, whatever horror movie you're going on, get it out of your head! This didn't just happen spontaneously; this is a biological outbreak courtesy of Umbrella, their business life itself. Some shit went down and this is the product, anything alive can become infected…from that cute little doggy in the window to the random crow in the air! Understand?"

Pulling out her whip, Aurora waved it around a bit. "Gotcha," Mumbling what looked to be sorry under her breath; she cracked the whip in the direction of the dogs, the poor beasties bounding away with a weak yelp. Catching the weird glance thrown her way, she shrugged as she put the leather toy away. "Didn't think you should waste bullets on 'em…"

He almost laughed. Shaking his head, he poked his head inside the store, motioning her inside soon after. Standing casually with his eyes to the streets, he rested his hand by the counter near the door. "Find something and get dressed quick. We don't have time…and if you take too long, I will ditch you."

From behind him, he heard Aurora laugh lightly. "No…no you won't."

Smirking, he turned to face her. "What makes you so confi…" He trailed off, a chink noise being heard, a cold circular piece of metal slapped around his wrist. Realizing they were handcuffs, he was too late to stop her from placing them around a visible metal foundation rod. He raised his gun to shoot her, Aurora maneuvering it from his hold.

Giving a bored sigh, Aurora shrugged off the silver daggers thrown her away. "Yes, I know…it was wrong, but I can't risk you ditching my ass. Promise I'll only be a minute, 'kay?"

Shaking from his rage, he soon broke into a laugh. "When you get me out these chains, I suggest you DON'T give me back my gun," He laughed psychotically, trying to yank off the metal. "Trust, I WILL kill you!"

"Yeah…" Waving off his threat, Aurora put the gun onto the cashier counter, taking her time to look over several pair of jeans. Finding a pair of fitted black denim jeans with a small flare to the bottom, she slid out of her boxers in exchange for the crisp pair of pants. Admiring herself in a mirror, she considering snagging a dark denim jacket. "But what kind should I-"

"Aya…"

"I'm thinking! Give me a second…" She started to stroke her chin, Stranger's voice cutting into her thoughts once more.

"Aya…it's important!"

"What!" snapped Aurora, pivoting her head in his direction. She paled, she becoming aware of just why the stranger had sounded so urgent. Slowly creeping towards his position was a bloodied shop clerk, face looking anything but helpful. "Fuck me…"

"No time for that," He attempted to yank himself away again, but to no avail. He motioned to in back of Aurora. "The gun, my gun!"

"Oh, right!"

Dashing back to the weapon, she started to toss it to the stranger, he groaning up to the sky. "Shoot…the ZOMBIE…with…the GUN!"

Aurora arched her brow in disbelief. "I've never shot a gun in my life!" The zombie now inches away from the Stranger, she took a deep breath, made a silent prayer, and winced as she pulled the trigger of the Desert Eagle. A satisfying splatter sound was heard. Opening her eyes, Aurora saw half the lady's head blown off, the Stranger splattered with bone and tissue.

Stepping up to the stranger to check on his status, Aurora made a face as the weapon got snatched out her hands. A second shot went off, Stranger shooting off the handcuffs that had bound him. Glaring to her with something indescribable, he broke off into a demented smile. "You shot at me with your eyes closed, didn't you? You…cuffed me to the fucking support rod, then shot at me with your god damn eyes CLOSED!

"Hey!" Angry at being shouted at, Aurora drilled a finger into his chest, teeth grinding. "I made the fucking shot."

"I don't give a fuck," Breaking off into what sounded a mixture of Spanish and Italian, he ripped off his shirt, scanning the men's clothing rack all the while. "See Lex, this is what happens when you decide to be nice. You find a completely worthless girl, can't fight, can't shoot, can't do anything but yell loudly and draw attention and ask stupid rhetorical question-"

Now over to his position, Aurora sucked her teeth, rolling her tongue across a small fang. "You…do realize you're speaking out loud, right Lex?"

He paused in taking a black shirt off the rack. Pulling it from its hanger, he pulled it over his chest, concealing the tattoos adorning his back quickly. He glared to her from startling cold silver. "That's not my name…and I know I was speaking out loud but really," he held up his still cuffed hand, Aurora sighing. "You expect me not to be a little pissed!"

Grabbing his cuffed wrist, Aurora pick-pocketed two toothpicks from his jeans, emerald eyes showing no sign of being hurt, her emotions veiled under nonchalance. "No, I expect you to get your shit together so we can get the hell out of here. Thinking we could ransack the weapon store before we head anywhere else. Oh, by the way," Dropping his bare wrist, she twirled the handcuff around a finger, brow arching. "I'm not as 'worthless' as you think…"

Letting her words linger in the air, she kicked aside the corpse of the dead woman, waiting for Lex to finish up…


	5. Aurora Kenshin

"Lexington? Lexus?" Aurora turned her gaze up to the clear night, navy blue skies showing no hints of the terror that had overrun the city. Biting her lip, she snapped her fingers. "Lex Luther?"

From ahead of her, Lex groaned into the sky agitated. After Aurora had managed to make it seem she had gotten over the worthless comment, to pass the time by, she had taken it upon herself to try and guess the stranger's name. He had either been shaking his head or mumbling a low no at each attempt, the last three names irking him. Turning on his heel, he glared to her, counting on his fingers. "No, no, and for the last…fucking time, NO! Lex Luther..." He scoffed.

Shrugging, Aurora rubbed at her arms to try and bring some warmth to herself. "Hey, you never know. So…oh, it has to be this!" Stepping up to him, she smirked. "Alexander."

Smiling, he started to pat her shoulder, stopping with a finger out. "No…" Seeing her take an exasperated breath, he faced forward as he continued his long stride of a walk. Pocketing his hands, he rolled his eyes, mumbling. "But close."

"Really?" Getting her enthusiasm back, Aurora skipped up to his side, craning her neck to get a peek at his face. "If that's not it, could it be Alexandra or Alex…something along those lines? You're parents coulda thought the former was a unisex name or something," He mouthed no silently for both, Aurora cracking her neck tiredly. "I'll give up for now…" She soon frowned at her surroundings. "I thought we were going to Kendo's…they do have quite the variety of weapons."

Lex snorted. "You act as if that's the only gun shop in Raccoon City…no, we're going some place closer," Making a right, he stepped out with a cautious air into the open street. "Kendo's is one of the best places but right about now its reminiscent to World War 3. If the zombies don't get you, the humans might. This place is isolated so it'll be safer...plus," He gazed back to her cynically. "Excuse it if I'm not in the mood to walk twenty fucking miles across a zombie ridden city to get what little ammos and guns that would be left there."

Losing herself to her temper, Aurora rose back her hand, cuffing him lightly up side his head. Taking a drag, she pocketed her hands as smoke left her nose in a steady stream. "I didn't ask for the smartass side commentary, you could have easily enough left it at the first sentence. Secondly, we could have always driven a car there…"

Readying his gun with a calm face, Lex spun the barrel in the center of Aurora's face. His eyes grew cold, silver contacts marvelously managing to give off his emotions. Very quietly, he said, "Don't ever…touch me again. Keep that in mind if you want to live long. Second," holstering the weapon, he motioned to the wreckage and random crashed vehicles around the area. "Not unless you have a skeleton key and you are able to plow through the cars blocking the road, I think you're idea has some serious flaws."

Aurora blinked, blocking off Lex's path by standing in front of him, now beaming proudly. "I don't need a skeleton key as I happen to be able to hotwire a car very nicely…oh and…yeah," Losing her smile, she placed her face inches from his, green eyes narrowed bitterly. "You ever threaten me again, trust and believe we **will **have problems, _Lex._"

Saying his name as if it were poison across her tongue, Aurora led the rest of the way to the not usually shopped at gun store, 'Oddman's Odyssey'. Pushing open the translucent door, glass shards littering the shined wooden floor of the store, her hand reached out towards the light switch.

Feeling another hand touch hers as she did so, Aurora yelped, Lex wrapping his free hand over her mouth. He whispered into her ear, gently pushing her into the wide expanse of the room. "Light will only draw unnecessary attention to our position. If anything…" Up to the counter, he fiddled around in a drawer, removing a small flashlight. Burying the device in her hand, he released her. "Use this to find whatever you wish to defend yourself with. Clear?"

"Ya shoulda just said that instead of scaring the fucking SHIT out of me…damn," massaging her heart, Aurora waved out the hand he had touched, forcing back a retort over how he could touch her but not vice versa. Knocking on the flashlight, she scanned each counter and glass case of the store, arming herself with a Glock, two nickel plated Uzis, and a beretta. Though, the only disadvantage to it all was the store had a severe shortage of ammo.

Starting to walk from behind the wooden counter in search of Lex, he having gone missing in the monstrous store, she halted mid-step, two lengthy black objects resting on the floor catching her attention. Her heart almost stopped from her shock. "Fuck me, Saint Marie, there is a god!"

She let out a squeal in excitement, Lex bounding around a corner thinking she had bumped into confrontation. In his hand was an automatic shotgun, a Benelli M1, strictly SWAT issue in most countries. Swinging the choice weapon over his shoulder, he made a face, for a brief second, eyes noticeably glowing in the darkness. Figuring the lack of sleep was screwing with her, Aurora smirked to his weapon. "What's that supposed to be, overcompensation?"

"_Under _compensation," corrected Lex, loading the powerful weapon with several red cartridges. Snapping the barrel shut, noticing her chuckle derisively, he couldn't help but to smirk as he readied the weapon. "Then again, even if I'm lying, its not like you'd ever find out, now would you?"

"Not like I'd _want_ to find out," corrected Aurora, laughter dying down. Picking up the two objects she had seen, she rested one on the counter, Lex shaking his head no. She pouted. "Oh come on, these are friggin golden!" Attaching the object to her hip, she pulled from a magnificent black sheath an authentic Japanese katana, most likely illegally imported into the States. "You said whatever I wish to defend myself with, didn't you?"

"I didn't mean melee weapons!" argued Lex, hating when his words came back to haunt him. He motioned out to the vast weapons making up the store. "A million weapons and you want a katana? It's going to slow you down lugging around weapons that you have NO IDEA how to use!"

Aurora would give him his credit, he was partially right. While the weapons wouldn't slow her down too much, carrying it around would get tiresome after a while. However, she did have skill in the art of using a katana, that along with two other weapons. She had been learning how to use a Bo staff for the past four years, a katana for the past six, and sai's for the past nine years. Though, she was in no position to give away that she was able to tell Aikido from Judo, let alone the fact that she was decent in melee. Being underestimated always made for an interesting experience.

Making no rebuttal over his claim, she clasped her hands together, pleading. "Please Lex…please, I promise, if they slow me down I'll dispose of them personally or you can ditch me with permission. Please…?" Making a puppy dog face, she tried not to laugh. She would take the weapons with her regardless of what he said.

Running a hand through his hair, he mumbled. "Dios mio," Sighing, he took the Uzis from around her waist, attaching them to his own stash of weapons. Strolling to the exit, he said. "Let's go, we gotta head to the Police station."

Taking that as a sign of his approval, Aurora clapped gleefully, attaching both weapons to each side of her hip. Making haste, she ran after Lex, following him out into the streets once more…


	6. Best of Friends

"So…Lexington," Aurora smiled snidely, allowing her words to hang in the air. It had been nearly a half an hour ago since they had departed from the gun shop, the two bumping into the occasional stumbling biohazard as they neared what could be called a danger zone, the police station.

Considering Lex would give no hint as to what his real name could be, Aurora called him by the one that suited him best. Lex wasn't too pleased with the whole process and hearing the name Lexington for what he counted to be the twelfth time leave her mouth, he readied his Benelli, spun around, and placed it to her mouth. "Say that name one more god damn motherfucking time; I swear to GOD I will waste a cartridge on you!"

He showed no hint of amusement, Aurora, for once, taking him seriously. Sighing in defeat, she rolled her eyes, waving the gun from her lips. "Fine, fine, Lex it is," He lowered the shotgun, placing it in a holster across his back.

Now next to the silver eyed, quick tempered stranger, Aurora asked, "Lex, why exactly are we heading to the popo?" He looked her over strangely, she elaborating. "The police. The police station, why are we going there? If people started to turn to zombies I know the first place I'd head would be the cops but then if an infected one turned, the police station would be a massacre site…bloody hell, suicide even!"

Shining his titanium carbon nitride finished magnum with the bottom of his shirt, Lex spoke in a reserved tone. "Please…I would never go to the cops for protection, especially in this town. Most are corrupt no fuck and the ones who do their jobs get screwed regardless. No…I know what to expect there. Corpses…the occasional undead, little doggies that'll be anything but cuddly,"

He held the weapon up into the light of an intact streetlamp, squinting at the shine. "Have no choice though. The gun shop we just went to had been raided before. One of each weapon was taken, including nearly every square inch of ammo and this is the only place I know that'll have ammunition. Sure, it is a little suicidal but what choice do we have?"

Aurora stopped dead in her tracks, jaw hanging open. She snorted, almost laughing. "Lex, fuck that, are you out of you mind! Let's just head to Kendo's," She glanced down an endless road. "Come on…" Her eyes returned to Lex. "There's no way."

Up to the femme, Lex pointed a finger sternly into her face. "I am NOT walking twenty miles just so we arrive at nothing. We take our chances at the station or better yet," He pointed a finger down the same foreboding road she had been looking down. "You can take your chance walking your ass off until morning, trust, I won't stop you!"

"I would ditch your arrogant ass right now if I wasn't so god damn sure you'd be completely fucked without me!" Pointed out Aurora, drilling a finger into his chest. "If the only way you could get to 5-7-9 was by backtracking, there's no fucking way in hell you know how to properly get around this place…especially when ya consider we're talking the long way to the station!"

"Let me correct you Aya, I would be BLESSED without you around! Never cursed so much in one night in my entire life," He ran both hands through his hair frustrated. "You know what else, you're right, I don't completely know my way around this hellhole …" he started to shake as he asked her a question. "But if you KNEW we were taking the long way, why in the hell didn't you say anything?"

"BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T ASK!" exclaimed Aurora, stomping a foot. She started to count on her fingers. "Not like it matters because A) you don't talk to me B) you don't ever care about what I have to say unless I'm pissing you off and C) You don't listen so when you fuck up…" She started to cackle. "I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. That doesn't make me wrong now, does it?"

"Of course not," he replied calmly. His eyes gained a psychotic hue as he continued. "That just makes you a bitch."

Insulted, Aurora swung her hand on her hip. "Well, this bitch is heading to Kendo's! I mean, really, how close are we to the station?"

He extended a hand down the road, shouting. "Its ten minutes away! You can see the silhouette in the freaking distance!"

Embarrassed she hadn't realized that herself, Aurora shouted with a hint of a blush. "Then why didn't you say so!"

"Because you didn't ask!" Mocked Lex, adopting a squeaky tone as he attempted to imitate Aurora.

She growled lowly, inches from the imposing character. Hands on her hips, she sneered. "Eat me, jackass."

Lex responded automatically, staring down hard to the nineteen year old. "Blow me, bitch," Aurora seemingly unable to find the words for his retort, did the only thing she could do, sticking out her tongue. Lex did the same, soon scowling as he finished. "Christ, I'm acting like a brat…never argue with an idiot, they'll reduce you to their level then beat you with experience…need to keep that one in mind."

Biting her lip, Aurora frowned at a recent discovery, her anger dissipating at the new sight. Brushing a strand of grey behind her ear, she said, "Do that again," Lex arched his brow, she sighing. "Stick out your tongue for a sec," He complied with a wry expression, a sly grin appearing on her face. Anger all but forgotten, Aurora continued on the route to the station, smirking. "I knew you were little freak…the 'fuck my brains out' comment should've given it away."

Catching up to her, Lex looked her over with a mixture of worry and annoyance. 'What the hell are you talking about…?"

Waving her tongue, she rested her hands behind her head. "I'm talking about that cute little piercing in your tongue…" She gave a wily grin, giving Lex a sideways glance. "A silver stud…woulda never noticed it."

Getting the gist of her unspoken thoughts just by her sudden smiles and overall change in attitude, he started to drum his fingers along the barrel of a Desert Eagle, keeping his eyes forwards as he spoke coolly. "What are you trying to insinuate Miss Aya, I'm rather curious to hear…"

Hand resting on the hilt of her katana, Aurora shrugged dreamily. "I'm not trying to imply anything, dear Lex. Not at all…actually," she dropped her smile. "Don't play stupid, you know exactly what I'm getting at, Lex."

"Didn't think you were ignorant enough to think everyone with a pierced tongue does something like that…" said Lex with nonchalance, mirroring her action and casually swinging his hands behind his head.

"Oh, I'm not," clarified Aurora, brushing off what could've been a very good insult if it were true. "I just think…_you_ do that. And really, after your answer to my rhetorical question, a girl can't help but wonder, ya know?"

"It was a joke," muttered Lex, oblivious to how he had managed to sate Aurora's fears of rape in just four words. Glowering, he said, "I may have a piercing but it doesn't mean I do anything."

"…And all throughout your rather weak defense I notice how you never actually denied my unsaid accusation," commented Aurora, eyes closed in concentration. Speaking her thoughts out loud, she said. "And it most likely goes without saying that I AM right but Lex does not care to admit his personal life to me as of yet which is perfectly understandable. I am, after all, a bitch." She couldn't help it; she had a thing with not being so forgiving after being called the 'B' word.

"Out of all the women I could've bumped into…I must've been downright evil to have to go through this," groaning, Lex massaged his face tiredly. Holding out a hand in her direction, he muttered. "You got a cig?" Aurora tossed him one, noticing an expression of distaste at seeing the brand. "Salems…" Lighting it up with a match, he shrugged. "I'm in hell, what else do I expect?"

Chuckling at his ill mood, Aurora stood outside the police station, a huge black metal fence blocking off the courtyard. Keeping the doors steadfast in position was a bloody chain, huge rusted padlock serving as the centerpiece. Using the Glock, Lex shot off the chain, Aurora tempted to slap him upside his head once more.

Rummaging in her bag, she scowled. " I could've easily picked the lock, don't know why you wasted a bullet…especially considering the door might've been holding out the zombies," Pulling out a thin silver chain, knowing it would have to do as a replacement, once she and Lex had stepped into the courtyard, she proceeded to chain back the gate, padlock and all.

Sullen as he smoked, Lex's eyes lit up as he took a meticulous drag. He narrowed his eyes, holding a steely expression. "Time out, let me try and understand something. I'M the freak because I may or may not perform…certain acts with my tongue…meanwhile you walk around with whips, chains, and handcuffs," Crossing his arms, his face full of skepticism, he said, "Let's think about this."

Blushing, Aurora slammed the padlock closed. Eyes widening, she said, "Those weren't mine. When I left the hotel I found them inside a car-"

"Yeah, _your_ car," interrupted Lex scornfully. "After you bought them, to use in this little hotel of yours-"

"They don't belong to me!" shouted Aurora. Preparing herself to curse him out, she only stopped as a low growl ripped through the air, scarier than any moaning she'd heard in the city.

Both Lex and Aurora turned their eyes from each other to the entrance of the police station, three decaying Dobermans growling eerily. Fur matted with blood, flesh fell sloppily from rotten portions of their faces, eyes crazed with dementia. At noticing the two comrades no longer arguing, they bound off on a collision course to the two. Lex rose his magnum, three shots ringing out, three dogs falling dead. A fourth growl was heard, a dog to Aurora's left having stealthily been charging from her side. Lex made to fire a shot, a clicking going off, his clip wasted. "Shit."

Showing no fear, Aurora licked her lips, for once solemn. "I got this," Knocking the hilt of her katana with her thumbnail, as the dog jumped to rip out her throat, the katana flew from its sheath, a flash of silver seen as it came into contact with the dog mid-air. The dog landed in back of her with a satisfying thud, syrupy red staining her weapon.

Lex strolled up to the dog, thinking Aurora had luckily only managed to maim it. He had started to mutter useless, stopping at the first syllable upon closer inspection of the zombie dog. The dog was very much dead, half its jaw cut off along with its scalp in a flawless cut. Staring to the dog's brain in wonder, in shock, the wasted magazine slipped unnoticed from his hand. "Fuck me…"

"Not tonight," Sheathing her katana, a warm smile came, Aurora content with her kill. Shrugging, she said, "What are the odds? First time using it and I cut the beasties head clear in half. Lucky or what?" Knowing she'd have to play it off as luck, with a merry hum, she started to the entrance of the door.

Staying back, Lex lightly pushed his boot into the dog's jaw. "I wouldn't be so sure…" While he would have loved to give her that much, that she had been lucky, that first time was a charm…rolling his eyes, he cautiously walked after Aya. While he would have loved to have given her that, and he would have too, there was one thing that instantly sparked a debate in his mind over what Aurora could actually do. That being…while half the dogs head had been horizontally split in half, she had somehow made it so the brain was still in one piece….

"What exactly am I dealing with, Miss Aya?" whispering his question and expecting no answer, he continued with the jolly-go-lucky youth into the station…


	7. Curious

The two stood in the middle of the brightly lit lobby, multiple papers scattered along the ground, computers covered in bloody prints, the occasional spark erupting from a broken screen, not a single moan or shuffling of steps heard. Aurora wrapped her hand around the hilt of her blade, the unsettling quiet forcing her on guard. Lex lodged a magazine into his Desert Eagle, sparkling eyes drifting to the ceiling.

Watching him scan the roof of the old building, Aurora smirked. "Don't tell me the zombies learned how to levitate…" She trailed off, uncomfortable with the echo of her voice, the whole affair making her unnaturally nervous.

"It's not zombies I'm worried about," Readying his Desert Eagle, his choice weapon for the evening, he led Aurora up a pair of stairs leading up to the inside balcony of the station. Looking from side to side, he explained himself. "Like I said, this isn't your average zombie movie. There are these creatures called lickers, skinless clawed creatures, longer tongue than even me."

"But I'm sure yours is put to far better use…" murmured Aurora sweetly, up on the platform of the stairs, blade calmly being pulled from its sheath.

Up to the combat ready femme, Lex gave his first actual smile for the evening, neither threatening nor psychotic. "I walked right into that one, can't deny that." Shaking his head, he raised his Desert Eagle, pulling the trigger and sending a heavy bullet into one of several zombies that had stumbled out a weak door to his right.

Aurora on the other hand, lashed her weapon out, beheading a decomposed being as it approached her from her left. Ignoring as its head rolled past, she continued a sickeningly easy assault, forcing away any remorse or mercy as she sliced the heads off of innocent civilians, men, women, and cops alike.

Both onto their last zombie, a burly fleshy cop, Aurora raised her katana vertically, eyes gazing into silver metal. Figuring she'd kill her last with style, she aimed her katana horizontally. Her eyes widened, muscles tensed for her move. Making a slash across its chest to keep it at bay, she flipped her katana in reverse, lunging backwards into the head of what would have been Lex's target. However, Lex, scouting her move before she had done it, spun backwards from his zombie, drilling his Desert Eagle into the skull of her target. With a feral grin, he fired, the back of the marked cop's head exploding into a mess of brains and tissue.

Lowering her bloody katana, Aurora started to clean it. She was slightly…bothered to say the least. She had noticed Lex's attack or to be more specific, how he had moved. It wasn't normal…inhuman even. A minute before he had killed his seventh target, then a second after, he had shot hers. _Though that spin…it's used for a quick palm lunge or using an opponents weight against em…seems I'm not the only one with skills._

Smiling, she sheathed her blade. Starting to step over the undead, she gave up, narrow hall too cluttered with corpses. Wincing, she stepped onto the fleshy masses, Timbs breaking clammy hands, sinking into swollen chests. Lex did the same, not seeming to care that they had once been living people. Holstering his gun, positive Aya wasn't telling him something, he raised a brow. "What's so hilarious, Aya?"

Realizing she was still smiling, she wiped the look from her face. "Nothing…" Tapping a beat against her hip, she suddenly stopped. Her eyes held vague expression, glued to a bloody puddle on the floor. Her heart skipped a beat. She should keep some questions to herself but…her eyes drifted back to the apathetic Lex. She started to speak.

"Lex…forgive me but you say you know your way around the city some but you never lived here. Then…then you happen to know Umbrella's the source behind the outbreak and…" She sighed. "I would have brushed it off if you only gave me a physical description of a licker but Lex," She faced him fully, his eyes starting to glow amused, dangerous smile splitting his lips. She swallowed hard. "Lex…you gave me the _name _of the creature, something that Umbrella scientists would be the only ones to know."

Walking close to Aya, she backing up, he managed to back her up into a wall. He held a thoughtful expression, Desert Eagle stroking his jaw. "You're right, I did tell you the name…" He looked down to her, piercing through her soul with startling silver. "Didn't I?"

Aurora felt her body grow numb. Her fingers slipped from the hilt of the katana, almost as if she was paralyzed by some profound fear. Breathing hard, she forced concentration, ignoring his stare, the feeling of slowly being ripped apart and analyzed.

Speaking strong, hand back onto her hilt, she asked. "Lex, just what the hell is going on? How the fuck do you know so much? Trust and believe, I may not wanna attempt to survive alone but I would kill you before you screwed me over."


	8. On Lock For a Reason

Lex very calmly holstered his Desert Eagle, hands resting at his sides. He ignored Aurora's look, the near annoying defiance and fury covering her face, the weakening hold on the hilt of her Japanese katana. No moans, no footsteps, no screams for help, killing her would have been ideal…if he was a killer. What he actually was had yet to be disclosed.

In an unseen move, he pushed her up against the wall, hands gliding lithely to her cheeks. Cupping her face tenderly, he pulled her lips within kissing range and past that, placing his lips to her ear. "I will admit this much Aya, I am surprised you of all people deduced something along those lines. You of all people know how to work a katana. You of all people still exist…despite no outward signs of horror," He closed his eyes, purring. "Even now, without looking, I can feel the fear pulsating from your being, the quickening of your heart against my chest…though something you **should** know…"

Giving her breathing room, he stared into her eyes seriously. "I hold no intentions of killing you, that's not my forte. Really…that's all you **need** to know," He released her. Placing a toothpick to his mouth, he brushed past, heading to a door feet away.

"Hey, asshole!" Lex turned startled, a neon green floppy disk slapping into the center of his forehead. Aurora stood with her hand still in a throwing position, she fuming. She had never felt more awkward in her life, pinned to the wall against Lex, who may or may not be a contributor to the hell surrounding them. Face still flushed from the encounter, she recovered her disk, staring hard to the stranger. "You didn't answer any of my questions. Just what in the fucking HELL is going on and how do you know about it!" She didn't care that he let her off, that asking questions were more dangerous than anything.

Very calmly, Lex pulled open a door. He smirked. "I told you, a biological outbreak courtesy of Umbrella occurred, plunging this city into hell. How do I know about it…? Oh, this is all just conspiracy theory and I made up the name for the licker creature. When you see one, you'll understand why. I even labeled this amphibious creature I came across…a hunter. The name speaks for itself, no?"

"No…" mumbled Aurora, eyes closed. She started to shake slightly. "No…Lex," She laughed. Unsheathing her katana, she spun Lex around, placing the side of her katana against his throat. She growled. "That has to be the BIGGEST load of shit I've heard in my entire life and trust, I've heard whoppers," Letting out a disgusted  
breath, she sheathed her blade, stomping down the hall. "Conspiracy theory my sweet ass."

"Sweet ass indeed…" murmured Lex, resting his hands behind his head. Aurora held by a scathing remark, blushing in her fury as she made a left. Following his bitter accomplice through a metal lined doorway, a frown formed. When he stepped through, a metal gate fell down covering every glass window, red alert lights going off urgently. "The hell…?"

"ALL FIREARMS MUST BE DEPOSITED WITHIN THE STORAGE DEVICE!" Alerted the computer in a monotone female voice.

"Screw that," Aurora glanced back to Lex. "We gotta have some form of offense…it's either that or go another way."

"Fraid not," he grumbled, already starting to unhook the Uzis, magnums, weaponry and Benelli shotgun from his being, dropping them off in a metal safety box. He arched his brow to the stunned Aurora. "In the room around the corner from the hall on lockdown, there's something I need in order for us to advance," Walking over to her, with ease, he snatched up the beretta by her waist. "That something being the key to the weapons cache. Not unless you want this whole expedition to have been in vain, we have no choice. But considering your katana didn't go off…"

Watching as her long range defense was placed inside a box, Aurora swore silently, tossing her second blade to Lex, he catching it deftly. Strapping it across his back, he shrugged, Aurora bitterly grumbling, "We shoulda just took our ass to Kendo's. At least we'd have weapons…"

The two comrades entered into the hall, the metal grates reluctantly pulling themselves back up to reveal the night sky of Raccoon City. Dim silhouettes of tree branches swung ominously in an invisible wind, the moans of some evident. Pressing at the glass were no more than five zombies, anxious to get in. For a second, a figure jumped from tree to tree, disappearing in the thick of the trunk. Aurora swallowed hard, palm going sweaty on her hilt, the feeling of being screwed surrounding her aura.

Lex led the way, making a right and pulling open a red metal door. The two quickly scrambled inside, Aurora relaxing her back against the closed door. No sooner had she done so when the sound of glass breaking was heard along with the thud of fallen bodies inside the hall. She narrowed her eyes, saying flatly, "Skippy…"

"If you're actually surprised," Lex kicked a typewriter from off-top an old-fashioned leather trunk. "You haven't seen enough horror movies," Flipping the silver lock, he began to rummage through the trunks contents, soon pulling out a blue keycard.

She arched her brow, smirking. "I'm not surprised, just disappointed," She scowled at a heavy thumping behind her. Bracing the door, she tilted her head, squinting her eyes to Lex. "I hope you know how to use a katana or I WILL be pissed…"

"A little," he said, pulling the blade from its sheath. Lex walked to the door, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Pulling open the door, he instantly swung at one of several zombies clawing their way in. Stepping back from another's grab, a tuxedo clad zombie stumbled in, Aurora slashing upwards, beheading the dead man.

Side to side, they ran through the crowd, slashing, decapitating, having what Aurora was starting to call, to her dread, a good time. There was something so oddly, so morbidly relaxing about being able to chop up people in multiple pieces and get away with it. She laughed at the unpleasant thought. _Note to self: If starting to enjoy killing, must see psyche. _Snarling, she slashed diagonally, chopping a scantily clad former prostitute in half, naked torso sliding down with a plop to the floor.

Aurora licked her lips, rotating her sword arm with a small smile. It soon diminished into a grimace. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be…" She rested a foot on the face of a glasses clad zombie, grinding his cheek into the ground apathetically. "Weird how…how killing a zombie makes one detached…" She ground a timberland harder into its face, a crack heard as thick syrupy blood spilled onto her shoe from its open mouth. She stopped with a scowl. "I just bought these…" she moved her foot off slowly. "Damn it all!"

"Indeed," Watching her through narrowed eyes, Lex held out the katana, Aurora starting to do the same. At the exact same moment, the two lunged upwards, swiping hard at two identical tongues falling down from the ceiling. Blood splattered out through window and across the walls, two squeals filling the room.

Dropping down from the ceiling came two lickers, the skinless beings mourning over the loss of their most…exotic feature. Sinking a claw into the skull of a zombie, the licker maimed by Aurora ran across the wall. She closed her eyes, waiting calmly. Rebounding off the wall, it lunged. Her eyes snapped open, she evading its jump as her katana whipped out, skimming the top off its pink fleshy brain. It collided into the bottom of the wall, twitching.

Lex, on the other hand, had chosen a more grotesque method of killing his. The fleshy being had no tactic, choosing to lunge immediately. It neared him, Lex smiling broadly as he slashed it back. It screeched, jumping away. It started for an impaling, Lex chopping off the imposing arm. Growing serious, he slashed off its second arm and legs, leaving the creature immobilized. Standing over the creature, tongue lashing out desperately, he arched a brow. "Bye bye!" Pulling up the blade, he impaled it through the licker's exposed brain, it stopping movement immediately after.

The two comrades stared to their victims wordlessly. Finding a corpse, they cleansed off the sticky substance and slimy tissue from their weapons, then facing each other. Training their blades beneath each other's neck, they sized each other up before saying in unison, "Fucking liar…" They both smiled at the words, knowing each held more skill than said.

Lex sheathed the katana, tossing it back to Aurora. "I didn't lie…I just didn't give away how well I can do with it. You on the other hand-"

"I didn't say anything," interrupted Aurora, calmly sheathing her weapon as she followed after Lex from the corpse ridden hall. "So I didn't lie. But now that you do know I have some skill with a katana…" She smiled sweetly as he handed her her beretta. Holstering her gun, she tilted her head with the same lovely smile. "Do note you ever touch me again, I'm going to chop off both your hands and put them on display along with your…" She glanced down to the crouch of his jeans, then back to his face. "Less used member." Patting him on his chest, she started to hum as she marched past him, Lex rolling his eyes at her allusion before going on after.


	9. Her word

Lex snatched Aurora's arm, stopping her outside an onyx silver door. The two had been wandering for a few hours, Aurora finally suggesting they headed to the lower floors once she realized Lex had no clear idea of where exactly the weapons cache was.

Stopping at a thick steel door, bolts keeping it firmly in place, Lex twirled the keycard in hand, silver eyes wandering to the keypad adjacent the door knob. _This just might go off without a hitch..._ Swiping the card down through its opening, a green light went off into confirmation, the happiness that had come soon dimming at the required four digit password. "This I didn't foresee." Running a hand through his hair, he sighed, back to the wall.

Aurora, who had stayed unusually silent through the whole ordeal, spoke rather timidly...no, reserved, something on her mind. She stared down to the keypad with indifference as she spoke. "Lex...I know my...fair share about the station but...maybe things might have changed while I was away?" She sighed, refusing to look him in the eyes, her voice coming out strained. "Are you sure this is the only place we can get ammo? There's no other option? No other way?"

Banging his head lightly against the wall, he let his eyes linger to the dangling fluorescent lights decorating the ceiling. Nibbling on the same toothpick for the past half hour, he spit it out to speak. "I'm positive. Our last defense was behind that door," He held back a laugh. "But God hates us-"

"Not quite," interjected Aurora, her body rigid. She walked up to the panel, stretching out her left hand. Wiggling her fingers deftly, she began to input a set of commands into the computer, arriving at a screen full of binary code.

Somehow able to read it, she swiftly pressed in a few more numerals, arriving herself at a manual override screen. Satisfied, she entered in the password. Several beeps went off simultaneously, a steady green shine lighting each keypad on the countless doors surrounding them.

Lex stared in disbelief, soon shaking his head with a chuckle. He couldn't believe it. The katana thing...he'd accept. But if Little Miss green eyes could hack into a secure database in less than five minutes, if that was what had actually happened, he might actually consider paying her some form of respect.

Raising her brow at Lex's slightly open jaw, she rubbed her temples seriously. "Long story short, my...father use to work here, was the head of this place. I use to read his files for fun but I'm sorry...I really fucked up."

He started to question how, a hiss of steam interrupting him. Glancing back, he realized Aurora hadn't necessarily done a good thing. She had opened the door for him, sure. But with that came the opening of every other door that had once been on lock, the room's inhabitants stumbling.

Moans in unison filled the air, the undead choir singing their unearthly tune. Walking aimlessly, severed limbs dripping thick drops of blood into the once clean hall, the smell of raw decay choked the air, the duo severely outnumbered. And yet, despite that, Aurora's hand was subconsciously sliding down to her katana.

Snatching her wandering hand, Lex kicked open the steel door, swinging her forcefully inside the room. Firing at an incoming zombie, he jumped in after Aurora into the new room. Recovering from his throw, Aurora started to push in the door with a struggle, Lex joining in the effort and slamming the heavy door shut before any ravenous zombies could get a bite.

Back to the door, Aurora leaned her head back with a smile, that turning into broad grin, then a hysterical fit of laughter. Happy tears brimming her eyes, she held onto her chest. "Holy shit fuck me, too close for comfort and I was actually considering going all swordswoman up into that crowd!" She laughed some more, falling down onto the floor at the fact she was still alive.

Lex smirked at the giddy girl, eyes lit up as if Christmas had arrived. Up against the left was a small table with an accompanying old-fashioned typewriter, several sheets of paper lodged into the top. To the far right of the room was the only possible door they could exit through, that made up of a rich bronze. Aligning the wall directly opposite them was enough weapons to stall an armada, enough ammo to blow a hole in every citizen of the damned city. Snatching up as much as possible, he almost didn't catch Aurora's question.

"How long you think that door will hold 'em out?"

Not looking back, Lex shrugged, making sure to take twenty or so rounds of magazines for his beloved Desert Eagle. "Indefinitely. I mean, it's a six inch steel door and this is the equivalent to a panic room. If that doesn't keep 'em out, what will?" She mumbled what sounded to be an 'I thought so' beneath her breath.

Shortly after her comment, a weird clicking sound began to fill the silence of the room. The clicking soon turned into a small ding before starting again. Frowning, Lex readied his gun, glancing to Aurora. She was standing over the table, bag resting on the countertop. He walked over to her, peering over her shoulder curiously. It soon turned to heavy skepticism, his question coming out critical. "Aya...what the hell are you doing?"

Ink ribbon placed into the typewriter, Aurora began on her second sentence, eyes focused on the small black font. Mumbling, she typed rapidly, answering. "Term paper..."

"...term, TERM paper!" Lex barely managed to sputter out the last words, not believing what he was hearing. He pulled her from the typewriter from the back of her pony. Aurora unconsciously caught his arm, spinning around to face him. Getting the picture, he released her, grasping her shoulders instead. "Can I buy some pot from you?"

Searching a pocket, Aurora shook him off, sighing. "Sorry, don't have that on me," Turning back to the type-writer, she continued on her frenetic pace, Lex taking the opportunity to shout to her turned back.

"Are you out of your fucking mind! There are literally zombies pounding on the door, we're in the middle of an outbreak, and you're typing up a paper?" Seeing her make no response, he shouted her name quickly, she jumping from his tone. "What's more important? Your life or some paper that whoever probably won't even get the chance to read!"

"My paper..." responded Aurora calmly, up to the middle paragraph. Her face had grown apathetic as he shouted; she hated being yelled at and was having a time with not pushing him through the steel door. "I gave my word I'd finish it..."

He ran his hand down his face in disbelief. He had found a real, honest to life airhead. "Never in my life..." Spinning her around, he slammed her back into the metal door, glaring to her heavily. He spoke quietly but cold. "Aya, what is more important? Your word or some paper?"

Her green eyes bordered on psychotic. She had been able to keep calm but she had warned him earlier enough. Slapping away his arms hard, she only refrained herself from breaking his hand at knowing he was the only one capable of wielding a gun. Shouting, she said, "MY WORD! My," She sidled away from a snatching arm, back to the table. "Word is the only thing that matters! Without it, I'd be nothing and I would just be some petty waste of existence! Now!"

Aurora stabbed a finger into his chest, gritting her teeth. "I said I would have this god damn paper completed, finished, and either faxed or emailed by six o clock in the morning and I WILL have this FUCKING paper done by then. And not zombies, Lickers, HUNTERS, WHATEVER THE FUCK ELSE UMBRELLA THROWS AT US, NOTHING...outside of the will of GOD, HIS or HER self, are stopping ME!"

"THEN I SHOULD JUST LEAVE YOU HERE!" shouted Lex, unable to comprehend all he had heard.

Aurora jabbed him into the chest, he stumbling back slightly. Her eyes were aglow in her fury. "Then GO, Lex! Take your WEAPONS, take your SHIT, and leave me HERE!"

"NO, because you..." he drilled his fingers into the center of her forehead. "You are a COMPLETE and TOTAL idiot! You may have opened this door, but smarts doesn't mean common sense, and I," he laughed in between his shout. "I refuse to have YOU die leaving ME with the GUILTY CONSCIENCE!"

"THEN STAY!" Ordered Aurora, voice going sore.

"FINE!"

"FINE!" Finished Aurora, wasted more from her argument then with anything else.

Lex, in a small fit of anger, grabbed hold of a weapons rack and for a moment Aurora wondered if he was going to assault her. Instead, he knocked the rack over in front of the steel door as an added security, breathing heavily. Back to the bare wall, his eyes stayed to the bronze door at the end of the room. "Finish your god damn paper..." he muttered bitterly.

Surprised he had given up so easily and strangely relieved that the bastard didn't exit her company, she continued typing up her paper, making the occasional error in her rush. Within twenty minutes, two pages typed, Aurora finished with a smile, snatching her completed paper and carefully folding it into her bag.

Brooding against the wall, eyes closed in rest, Lex casually opened a sparkling silver eye at no longer hearing the clickety-clack of the typewriter. "Finished?"

"Yeah..." Swinging her backpack over her back, Aurora walked up to Lex, squeezing his cheek affectionately with a smile. "Umm...thanks for waiting on me. I may not have said it but it's...interesting to have the company."

For a second, a tinge of pink hit his cheeks, he unused to her being cordial. Swiping her hand away awkwardly, he folded his arms over her chest, not yet able to maintain eye contact. "Yeah...it's no biggie. I don't need the thanks."

"Heh, right," Heading over to the bronze door, Aurora shrugged. "I'm sorta figuring if the zombies don't kill us, we'll probably kill each other first," Pushing open the door into a mildew filled corridor, she became thoughtful. "Wanna bet on it?"

To her surprise, Lex unfurled a hundred from a roll concealed in his back pocket. Aurora took out three fifties from the stolen wallet, crumbling the cash into his hands. He smirked. "You got yourself a deal. Whoever goes crazy first loses the money...hope you said goodbye in advance to those fifties."

Snorting, she pocketed her portion of the bet money. "Nah, I just told 'em to expect a new friend by the name of Benjamin to keep them company..." She smiled, he smirked.

Turning a corner of the hall, Lex glanced to the mischievous eyed Aya in wonder. "So if you gave me your word over something...dire, crazy even, you'd keep it?"

"Not unless it was to suck your invisible dick, I don't see why not," She laughed at his eye roll. "What, should I come up with something?" He hesitated, then nodding. Aurora stared up, beginning to think. Solemn, she stared him into the eyes and said. "I give you my honest to goodness word that the both of us will get out of this hellhole together...and alive. From their, we'll go our separate ways and only time will be able to dictate our destiny."

Lex showed no surprise at her words, showed nothing over such a promise. He wasn't sure if anyone could keep something like that. He glanced away, then back to her. "What if you can't keep it?"

"Hey!" She smiled, walking backwards. "I'll keep my word or die trying, ya know? We may not be on the best of terms but screw it, I wanna be able to tell my grandkids, 'Fuck me, I survived an outbreak with a contact wearing jackass. Wonder how he's doin...' etc."

Laughing at her name calling, he shook his head after a minute. Aurora started to laugh to, stopping at cement she had stepped into. Scowling, she lifted her foot up. "Wasn't here before..." She stared to the ground. "Matter of fact, looks newly patched up."

Lex walked up to the spot, narrowing his eyes. "Wonder what it means," The two simultaneously stomped, feet slipping through, making them fall downward into the hidden abyss...


	10. Down the Rabbit Hole or Little swim

"Whip it now, whip it good, whip it, just like you should…"

Lex clung onto Aurora's waist tightly, narrowing his eyes at the song leaving her mouth. Lex made a face, eyes fixated on the small crack in the trapdoor they'd plunged through. The sound of rushing water almost drowning him out, he turned his attention back to Aurora, disgusted. "That's a trashy song…" He had recognized the beat, and while she had modified the words, it was still vulgar all the same.

"My ne…" Aurora drifted off; surprised her left arm hadn't popped out from its socket. Her right arm was wrapped tightly around Lex, backpack open in part. Making out the face of Lex in the dim, murky room, she smirked. "I'm gonna agree with you there. Matter of fact, I hated the song when it first came out but it suits the situation now, don't you agree?"

Feet dangling in mid-air, life depending on how long Aurora could hold on, Lex frowned. "I highly doubt a song about whips is appropriate when we're dangling twenty feet above a steadily building pool of water. In the off-chance we wait until the water is ten feet before jumping in, we risk drowning. And in the likely chance that we fall down now, we break both our legs, THEN drown."

"So positive," murmured Aurora cynically, palm sweaty on the handle of her whip. She glanced about the room, eyes slowly adjusting to the dark. On each side of the damp cement room were four huge pipes, water expelling from their opening effortlessly, drowning the room with the scent of contaminated seawater.

The duo was in a stone box, the room twenty feet wide, thirty feet deep. The only reason why they weren't dead on the ground was pure and simple luck. As they had started to fall, Aurora's hand had whipped up to her backpack in an attempt to save her term paper, instead grabbing onto her whip. Wasting no time, she put the toy to use, flinging its ending into the closing metal trapdoor, Lex instinctively grabbing hold of the femme to save himself as well.

Grimacing at hearing the leather start to twist, Aurora glanced down to the water, swimming not heavy on her list of options. "Lex...please tell me you have a plan."

"I do," Aurora turned to him enlightened, waiting for his next words. However, they didn't bring her the cheer she had expected. "You have to let go of the whip."

Aurora scoffed. "Screw that, I LIKE my legs, thank you."

He rolled his eyes, holding on tighter. "Yeah, well you know what? Your whip wasn't made to support two average sized humans hanging over a pool of seawater; it was built for your pleasure. It's gonna snap regardless-" As if on cue, the leather whip broke.

Wide eyed, the two plunged down, -jackknife form- into the rank cold water, feet skimming the bottom of the stone floor. Releasing the handle of the defective leather whip, Aurora closed her backpack quickly. Once done, she kicked her way to the surface, popping her head up above the surface.

Wiping the water from her eyes, she brushed aside the strands of grey stuck to her face. Aurora scanned the area, her eyesight damn near useless. She shouted. "LEX!"

From behind her, a gasp of air was heard, a second figure breaking the surface. A splash accompanied the breath, a hand soon clinging onto Aurora's arm. She tensed up slightly, the voice easing her fears. "Relax...and remember, you can't shout, attracts things."

"Right..." Taking a breath, she raised back her hand and without another word, slapped Lex right around where his head would be.

"Fuck, OW!" He massaged his scalp, wincing at the woman who had just struck him. He restrained himself from drowning her, instead asking, "What the hell!"

Sticking out her tongue, Aurora explained, "For the last time, the whip was NOT mine. It's never been used for my pleasure and it never will be!" Temper relieved from her outburst, she mumbled a sorry, swimming closer to the silver eyed mystery. She weakly smiled. "Fuck me; we're going to drown, aren't we?"

"We might..." murmured Lex, deciding to let her off the hook for the first and last time in the evening. Seeing her become clearly shaken up over his opinion, he peered down into the dark of the water. "Talk to me, Aya," She blinked bemused, Lex clarifying. "You said earlier I don't listen to you, I don't care what you have to say. Well, I'm listening now. Talk to me, tell me about yourself." he need some sort of distraction to keep her busy and him focused.

Swallowing hard, legs growing numb in the chill of the water, Aurora searched her mind for something to say. "I'm still not going to tell you my name but the whole password thing should be explained. My father...he used to be the head officer of the station. He quit after my mother's death though. He said it was because he was long due for retirement. Even I knew that was bullshit...and I was what, twelve? It had to do with my mother's death-"

"My condolences," interrupted Lex, sounding sincere.

Aurora nodded, use to it by now. "I...my father was always a proud person. I think it was too big a blow to know he had the whole police unit at his hands and he couldn't even stop his wife from being raped and killed. You'd think he'd become enlightened to the evil of the world but instead he developed an unspoken hate for me."

Lex paused in ducking his head below the surface of the rising water, making a face. "What do you mean he hated you? Why?"

"Because I was a reminder of the woman he lost...with the exception of the eyes, I look exactly like my mother. He hated that but said nothing, choosing to ignore me almost entirely. However, one night..." She chuckled, "When I was seventeen, I came home around three in the morning after my car stalled. Oh my fuck, I had never seen anything like that in my life, he was demonic! He beat the shit out of me, shouting, swearing, broomstick and all..." At this, Aurora laughed at the unfriendly memory.

Lex became sullen, staring to Aurora as if seeing the femme for the first time. "Aya, that's not funny... "

"I know," Her laughter stopped immediately, eyes on the last visible bead of light from the crack in the roof. She sighed. "But you don't very well expect me to burst into tears like some oversensitive bitch, now do you? It was nice he finally acknowledged my existence even if it were in the worse way possible. I hate him sure...and I hate what he did but hey, shit happens. Its either I accept it and move on or become a bitter vengeful bitch over the ordeal."

Aurora made a face at Lex's lack of comment, wondering if she had said too much. Most never knew that much in years of knowing her and here she had blurted out her past in less than a few hours. But then again, it had to be taken into account the fact that they had a little over five minutes before the water flooded the room and they probably would die a horrible death. "Life's a bitch..." Aurora shrugged, legs growing tired. "Lex, what about you? Your parents?"

"Dead," he said casually. Aurora offered her apologies, Lex scoffing. "Fuck 'em," Making out her stunned expression despite the room being pitch black, he smirked. "My mother was heavily into drugs and saw the child support my father barely managed to send in monthly as crack money. I was nothing but a pawn, no surprise I looked to the streets for food...and guidance...and as an escape," he sighed tiredly, as if he had told the story one too many times. "When I was thirteen, my father came to visit. I didn't understand why back then but I still remember what happened. He grabbed her by the back of her head and promptly proceeded to beat the shit out of her, taking his Colt and shooting her three times in the chest."

For a minute, her arms grew numb, Aurora slipping through the water. Recovering, she continued her float in disbelief. "You didn't do anything...you just watched it all happen?"

"Yes," he admitted, silver eyes focused on the ground. "For two reasons. One being I didn't fully grasp that it was all actually happening. Two being, for a minute, I didn't give a damn," he gulped, disrupting his reflection in the water. He stared somberly to Aurora. "But enough on that, there's a time a place for everything, ya know? Let's play a little game. I call it three questions. I'll start first. One, why are you here?"

"Visiting," Aurora answered cautiously, curious as to why Lex had cut short his tale. "Go on."

"Two," He counted off. "Do you have skill with any other weapon besides the katana?"

"Maybe," She arched a brow. She may have been about to die but her skills would go with her to the grave. "Question three?"

"Do you trust me?"

Aurora frowned. "Lex..." She brushed away a strand of grey nervously, the ceiling becoming too close for comfort. "Lex, I barely even know you. We may be in a biological outbreak but that doesn't mean we're automatically gonna have this freaky bond, belief in one another."

He extended a hand, fingers skimming the ceiling. "You didn't answer my question...but the words say it all. Alright, now your turn," Lex raised his own brow. "Ask me the right question."

"Do you eat the box?" In response to her question, a huge wave of dirty water was flung her way, Aurora shivering and erupting into a bevy of curses all at once. She started to splash Lex back, he easily avoiding the wave.

He rolled his eyes. "Wrong question. Try again."

Spitting out the putrid water from her mouth, Aurora glanced to the side at her next question. "So, how's the girl?"

Bewildered, Lex arched his brow. "What girl?"

"Figures..." Smiling, she brought up both hands to block off the second splash that had come. Laughing a bit, she began to think, expression growing serious. Obviously there was some question of importance she had to ask or they wouldn't be playing the game to begin with. Head bumping into the ceiling, she looked to Lex hurriedly. "Do you know how to get out of here?"

"Give the girl a prize, she figured out the question," Grabbing onto her arm, starting to angle his face as they ran out of breathing room, he asked. "Are you willing to swim down to the bottom of the pool?"

Aurora chuckled nervously. "I can barely even see my hand inches from my face. How am I supposed to swim?"

His grip tightened. "You have to hold onto me. I know you don't, but for a minute or so, you have to trust me."

Scoffing, Aurora gripped onto Lex's fingers tightly, shuddering in the water's cold. She laughed. "Not like I have much of a choice," She angled her head, eyes to the approaching ceiling. "Ready when you are!" She took her last breath.

Lex devoured a mass amount of air, submerging his head at her last words. Glancing about, hand wrapped around Aurora's, he swam down to what he had seen earlier, what he could still see despite the lack of light. Now to the bottom, Aurora's bag weighing them down, he turned the circular handle of a maintenance cover, twisting the opening with all the strength he could summon.

Slipping her hand from his, Aurora managed her hands around the thin circular metal, a friend's words coming to mind. _Righty, tighty, lefty, loosey._ Smirking at her friend's words, she proceeded to twist the handle left, a squeak and vast air bubbles erupting as the panel began to spring open.

Like a vortex, the new opening sucked in the unlikely duo, pulling them down a wide metal pipe and through a series of paths, water filling each. Blinded by the darkness and dizzy from the lack of air, Aurora latched onto the closest thing nearby, free hand brushing across iced metal.

Stomach lurching into her mouth from a steep vertical drop, she rebounded off the curve of the pipe, being sent horizontally out of the cold tube of metal, sprawling spread eagle out into a clear white opening.

Coughing and shivering at the remaining water pounding across her back, she wiped her eyes once the pressure started to die down. Room coming into focus, Aurora glanced to what she had grabbed hold of.

In her left hand, she found another hand; Lex's to be exact, he scanning the room in caution. His attention onto his hand, realizing he had grabbed her, he pulled away instantly, as did she. Getting onto her feet, Aurora made a startling discovery. The room wasn't painted white...rather, it was frozen. She let out an icy breath. "Fuck, fuck, fuck me, its cold!"

Lex stood up, not as affected by the radical change in temperature as she. Looking her up and down, he rested his gaze on the shirt clinging to her shivering form. "Nice top...would've been better in white."

"Thanks, I thought so t-" Aurora cut herself off, starting to get what he actually meant by the statement. Cursing the cold in her mind and the fact the she hadn't worn a padded bra, she crossed her arms over her chest to hide her sudden...perkiness in a manner of speaking. Scowling, she brushed passed him. "Fucking jackass..."

Lex merely laughed, following after the green eyed femme through the hidden location...


End file.
